GATOR GREATS SPEAK: LET'S STAY IN THE SEC

When the SEC presidents voted 6-4 recently to rescind the Florida Gators' 1984 football title, UF President Marshall Criser commissioned a "study" to consider Florida's continued membership in the conference. This column contacted several prominent former Gators and posed the question: Should UF pull out of the SEC?

Jimmy Kynes, 1949 All-SEC center, now a Tampa business executive: "While I am very unhappy about the actions of the presidents -- which I thought very foolish and reflected very poorly on the conference -- I nonetheless think officials at UF should be very cautious before reaching a decision with as far-reaching impact as withdrawing from the conference. But if the six presidents had sat down and written a script to try to push Florida out of the conference, I don't think they could have written a better script. Hopefully, the conference is bigger than those six."

Fred Abbott, 1972 All-SEC linebacker, now a Jacksonville attorney: "Absolutely not. I think pulling out would be nothing but sour grapes and a sad reflection on the university."

Tracy Caulkins, 1984 Olympic gold medal swimmer, now finishing her degree requirements at UF: "If it wouldn't hurt us financially, I don't see any problem with us pulling out. As far as swimming, there is some good competition in SEC, but I don't think it has as much bearing on whether a swimmer would come here as it does in football."

Richard Trapp, 1966-67 All-SEC flanker, now an Orlando attorney: "I definitely do not think we should pull out. I love Florida, and I think they should go ahead and take their lumps. I don't like the way the presidents went about what they did, but I think the end result was correct. I know that probably is not the popular opinion, but I think we should not want the SEC title when it is clouded like it is."

Gary Koch, 1972-74 golf All-American, now on the PGA Tour: "If President Criser is right that the other presidents didn't have the right to take away the title, he should go to court and sue to retain the trophy. But pulling out would have grave effects down the road for all athletic programs at Florida." Jim Yarbrough, 1966-68 tight end, now an Orlando businessman: "It would be a big mistake to pull out. I think the problems that the football program has had are behind us, and there is tremendous opportunity for all sports on the conference level. I think if we got out of the SEC, Florida State would knock the door down to get in and reap the benefits. The rub right now is the difference of being disciplined and abused. We expected to be disciplined. But now there is the abuse factor that has so many Gator fans upset."

Scott Hutchinson, 1977 All-SEC noseguard, now playing for the Orlando Renegades: "I don't think just because of this confrontation they should tuck their tails and pull out of the SEC. If anything they should stay in and prove they were right in winning the championship. Florida has a chance now to dominate, to become the next Alabama."

Red Mitchum, 1950-51 lineman, now an Ocala businessman: "One battle does not constitute a war. Let's stand and fight. Though we could probably survive financially in basketball and football, pulling out of the SEC would destroy our minor sports and it would destroy our ladies' sports, which are becoming more important to us every year."

Cris Collinsworth, 1980 All-America wideout, now playing for the Cincinnati Bengals: "Financially, Florida might be better off in the long run outside the conference. But I sure hope they don't get out. When you talk about the great traditions, the biggest part of Florida's is the SEC battles. I know they are bitter right now over what happened. But I'd rather see them compete for the SEC than against Tulane or somebody."

Ray Graves, former UF coach and AD, now a Tampa public relations aide to George Steinbrenner: "I don't agree with what the conference has done and the way they've done it. But for the total sports program, there are more pluses to being in the SEC than being out of it."

Steve Spurrier, 1966 Heisman Trophy winner, now Tampa Bay Bandits coach: "To belong to a conference is very important to any school. If Florida got out, I think Auburn, Georgia and other schools would schedule Appalachian State, or somebody. I think Florida needs the conference and the conference needs them."